1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron emission display having a spacer and, more particularly, to an electron emission display capable of controlling paths of electrons by inserting an electrode in a spacer.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In general, an electron emission device uses a hot cathode or a cold cathode as an electron source. The electron emission device using the cold cathode may employ a field emitter array (FEA) type, a surface conduction emitter (SCE) type, a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) type, a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) type, a ballistic electron surface emitting (BSE) type, and so on.
Using these electron emission devices, an electron emission display, various backlights, an electron beam apparatus for lithography and so on can be implemented. Among them, the electron emission display includes a cathode substrate including at least one electron emission device to emit electrons, and an anode substrate for allowing the emitted electrons to collide with a fluorescent layer to emit light. The electron emission display includes the cathode substrate, the anode substrate, a line-shaped cathode electrode disposed at one side of the cathode substrate, and a line-shaped anode electrode disposed at one side of the anode substrate to perpendicularly intersect the cathode electrode. An electron emission part emitting electrons while forming an electric field is provided at one side of the cathode electrode. Additionally, fluorescent layers emitting light by a collision of the electrons emitted from the electron emission part are provided at a surface of the anode electrode, and a spacer is provided at one side of the anode substrate. The spacer functions to prevent the substrate from being deformed and damaged when the cathode substrate and the anode substrate are vacuum-sealed.
An example of the electron emission display adapting the aforementioned spacer is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2001-75785. Hereinafter, a conventional electron emission display will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an electron emission display having a conventional spacer. A line-shaped cathode electrode 22 is provided at one side of the cathode substrate 21, and a surface type electron emission part 23 is provided on the cathode electrode 22. A line-shaped anode electrode 12 perpendicularly intersecting the cathode electrode 22 is provided on the anode substrate 11 opposite to the cathode substrate 21, and fluorescent layers 14 emitting light by a collision of electrons emitted from the electron emission part 23 are provided on the anode electrode 12. An auxiliary spacer 34a also functioning as a light-shielding layer is provided at a space between the anode electrodes 12. A plurality of spacers 34 spaced from each other by a predetermined interval are disposed at a region, at which the anode substrate 11 and the cathode substrate 21 are sealed to each other. Each of the spacers 34 is adhered to one of the anode substrate 11 and the cathode substrate 21 using frit.
Therefore, when the spacer 34 is adhered to one of the anode substrate 11 and the cathode substrate 21 using frit, the both substrates maintain a certain gap by virtue of the spacer 34.
However, some of the emitted electrons collide with the spacer and ions generated by action of the emitted electrons charge up the spacer. Paths of the electrons emitted from the electron emission device are changed by the charged spacer, and the electrons arrive at positions other than the corresponding fluorescent layer, generating distorted images around the spacer.